Elise Jenkins is the co-founder and CTO of Opto Biosystems, a neurotechnology start-up out of Cambridge, UK. Opto are developing minimally invasive neural implants to understand and treat human disease, particularly, cancer.  Elise has an academic and industrial background in electrical engineering with several years in product support and management at global tech conglomerate, Siemens. More recently, Elise completed her PhD in bioelectronics/neuro-oncology from the University of Cambridge, where her and co-founder Ben Woodington formed Opto with the intention of translating thin-film neural interfaces to patients. Opto has raised 2 rounds of venture funding since Dec ‘22 and has been awarded several non-dilutive grants which has enabled Opto to build a strong, interdisciplinary team of regulatory, quality, engineering, and biological skillsets to deliver the first brain-computer interface for oncological diseases. Elise leads technology development and translation at Opto. In 2023, Elise was recognised as Cambridge Judge Business School Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2024 she was listed in Forbes 30U30 and Hurun UK U30.

March Pitch and Polish!

Ankur Sharma

Anglia Ruskin University

Business Idea: Human Interaction Interface “hii” – Revolutionising Student Engagement and Communication

“hii” is a digital platform designed to tackle the communication challenges between universities and students, as well as promote professional networking. It addresses three main issues: fragmented communication, isolation, and lack of networking opportunities. “hii” simplifies academic and professional tasks into one seamless platform, reducing inefficiencies caused by multiple apps. Key features include a dual account system for academic and career use, integrated messaging and assignment management, alumni tracking, and tools for building a connected community. By enhancing communication and offering professional networking opportunities, “hii” aims to improve student well-being, academic success, and career outcomes, creating a more cohesive and supportive university

Come for the talk, come for the food, come for the connections! But please sign up here: